Silver Creek Graduate Making A Name for Himse

Written by Nicole Gugino on 26 December 2010

Vince Tampio has been playing the trumpet since he was 8 years old. He graduated from Silver Creek High School in 2007, was a part of the band and loved music. He left high school knowing that he wanted to go to college for music. "I found I was most interested in music. It was something I could really put my heart into; where I also liked math and English, I just wasn't as passionate about them," Tampio said.

He is currently a senior at SUNY New Paltz majoring in music with a concentration in jazz and theory and composition. He has written a orchestra symphony that was performed at the school. Tampio went to school knowing he wanted to perform jazz, writing music came later. Tampio currently has two bands that he coordinates - a trio called Post Modern Jazz Trio and a quartet called Quatrane and he also does other projects.

Tampio plays trumpet, bass, keyboard, guitar and percussion and has done back up vocals well enough to perform but has also dabbled in woodwinds and strings. "It's good to dabble, especially if you are writing for it," he added. After he graduates he has two options open for the future. The first is to go to graduate school for jazz and become a teacher, while still playing and recording. The other option is to pick up a contract with a group or individually to play on tour ships and resorts.

For students looking to go into music after high school Tampio as a few words of advice. "With the small program at New Paltz, they gave suggestions like at a buffet and you decide how you want to develop as an artist," he said. Tampio was only trumpet major in the jazz department and this has helped him to take advantage of opportunities he may not have at a bigger school.

"If students are serious about getting into music they have to have a love for what they do because at times it is hard, you get disheartened ... you have to accept your success, not like monetary success but in terms of personal goals. You have to be all into it, then you will make your own future. You have to have that drive to succeed and the drive to sacrifice for that success," he added.

Another piece of advice Tampio had is to be flexible and nice to all the people you work with because they may call you out of the blue in the future to help on a project. "You have to work together as musicians and be flexible. You don't want to make any enemies in this business because it's a small world," he said. To keep up with Vince Tampio visit his website www.vincetampio.com for concert dates, contact information and news of his bands.